Wire harness

Abstract

To improve heat dissipation of electrical equipment connected to a wire harness.SOLUTION: A wire harness comprises: a circuit that has at least a wire extending from electrical equipment having a heat-generating component; a thermally conductive plate that extends along the wire; and a thermal conductor that thermally connects the circuit and the thermally conductive plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire harness.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an interconnecting box that electrically connects an instrument panel harness, an engine room harness, a door harness, and a floor harness to each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, it is desired to enhance the heat dissipation of an electrical device that is a connection destination of a wire harness.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to enhance the heat dissipation of an electrical device that is a connection destination of a wire harness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The wire harness of the present disclosure includes a circuit having at least wiring extending from an electrical device having a heat-generating component, a heat-conductive plate spreading along the wiring, and a heat conductor thermally connecting the circuit and the heat-conductive plate.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to enhance the heat dissipation and achieve miniaturization of an electrical device that is a connection destination of a wire harness.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring system, including a wire harness, in a vehicle. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing how the wire harness according to the embodiment is installed in a vehicle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a plan view showing a wire harness according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of region A in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exploded plan view of the wire harness. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a base member according to the first modified example. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the circuit and heat conductor according to the second modified example. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view along the line IX-IX in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationships between multiple types of connectors and multiple wires. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationships between the equipment connector, the first harness connector, and the second harness connector. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the wiring and base member according to the third modified example. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows an example of how to divide multiple wires. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows another example of how to divide multiple wires. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing a wire harness according to the fourth modified example. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view showing the wire harness according to the fourth modified example. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a plan view showing a wire harness according to the fifth modified example. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a perspective view showing how the wire harness according to the fifth modified example is installed in a vehicle.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] The wire harness of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0011] (1) A circuit having at least wiring extending from an electric device having a heat-generating component, a heat-conductive plate extending along the wiring, and a heat conductor thermally connecting the circuit and the heat-conductive plate.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, by providing a heat conductor that thermally connects the circuit and the heat-conductive plate, the heat generated by the heat-generating component is transmitted to the heat-conductive plate through the circuit and the heat conductor. The heat-conductive plate is a plate that extends along the wiring. Therefore, the heat from the heat-generating component is effectively dissipated by the heat-conductive plate, and the heat dissipation performance of the electric device that is the connection destination of the wire harness can be improved.

[0013] (2) In the wire harness of (1), the wiring has a core wire and a coating covering the core wire, and the heat conductor may be connected to the core wire. Thereby, the thermal conductivity between the wiring and the heat conductor is enhanced.

[0014] (3) In the wire harness of (2), an intermediate stripping portion where the coating covering the core wire is partially absent is provided in an intermediate portion along the extending direction of the wiring, and the heat conductor may be connected to the core wire at the intermediate stripping portion. Thereby, a coating can be interposed between the connection position of the core wire and the heat conductor and the electric device, and it is easy to ensure the necessary insulation.

[0015] (4) In the wire harness of (2) or (3), a base member may be further provided interposed between the wiring and the thermal conductive plate, wherein the thermal conductor connects the core wire and the thermal conductive plate through a window formed in the base member. This ensures that the connection between the core wire and the thermal conductive plate is made by the thermal conductor while the wiring is protected by the base member.

[0016] In the wire harness of (5)(4), the base member is a protector having a main body with a groove formed therein for housing the wiring, and a lid that covers the wiring from the opposite side of the main body, and the window portion is formed in a plate portion of either the main body or the lid that is interposed between the wiring and the heat conductive plate, and the other of the main body or the lid may press the wiring toward the heat conductor. This increases the contact between the wiring and the heat conductor, thereby increasing the heat conductivity between the wiring and the heat conductor.

[0017] In the wire harness of (6)(4), the base member may be a flexible sheet member. This allows the base member to be easily installed. Also, the wiring and the sheet member can be bent together.

[0018] (7) In any one of the wire harnesses from (4) to (6), the base member may keep the multiple wires flattened. This allows for effective heat dissipation by a heat-conducting plate that is easy to set up.

[0019] (8) In any one of the wire harnesses from (1) to (7), the circuit further has terminals connected to the ends of the wiring, and the heat conductor may connect the terminals to the heat conductive plate. This allows the heat conductor to be connected to the circuit at a position closer to the electrical equipment.

[0020] In the wire harness of (9)(8), the heat conductor may have a heat-drawn wire connected to the terminal. This increases the heat conductivity of the heat conductor.

[0021] In the wire harness of (10), (8), or (9), the terminals are housed in the cavity of the connector housing, and the heat conductor may have insulating properties and a filling material filled in the cavity. This makes it easy to provide a heat conductor connected to the terminals.

[0022] (11) In any one of the wire harnesses from (1) to (10), a signal line and a power line having a larger conductor cross-sectional area than the signal line are provided as wiring, and the heat conductor may be connected to the circuit of the power line. Power lines often have higher thermal conductivity than signal lines because they have a larger conductor cross-sectional area. By connecting the heat conductor to the circuit of this power line, the heat dissipation of the electrical equipment is further improved.

[0023] (12) In any one of the wire harnesses from (1) to (11), a device connector is provided that is connected to the connector of the electrical equipment, and a first harness connector and a second harness connector are provided that are connected to the connectors of the mating wire harness, respectively, and the wiring may include a plurality of wires that branch off from the device connector and are connected to the first harness connector and the second harness connector. In this case, the number of connectors connected to the electrical equipment can be reduced. This reduces the number of connectors in the electrical equipment and makes it possible to miniaturize the electrical equipment.

[0024] In the wire harness of (13)(12), the wiring may include wiring for a through circuit connecting the connector for the first harness and the connector for the second harness. In this case, it is possible to connect multiple types of mating wire harnesses to each other via this wire harness, and the connection of multiple types of mating wire harnesses to each other and to equipment becomes easier.

[0025] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of the wire harnesses of this disclosure are described below with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims.

[0026] [Embodiment 1] The following describes the wire harness according to Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring system including the wire harness 30 in a vehicle 10. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the wire harness 30 according to the embodiment arranged in the vehicle 10. The front-rear direction (FRONT, REAR), left-right direction (LEFT, RIGHT), and up-down direction (UP, LOW) shown in Figure 2 correspond to the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in the vehicle 10. Figure 3 is a plan view showing the wire harness 30 according to the embodiment. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of area A in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the VV line in Figure 4. Figure 6 is an exploded plan view of the wire harness 30. Note that in Figure 4, the cover 56 of the protector 54 is indicated by a dashed line. Also, in Figure 6, the cover 56 of the protector 54 is omitted.

[0027] <Overall Wire Harness Configuration> The wire harness 30 is, for example, installed in a vehicle 10. The wire harness 30 is interposed between multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 and electrical equipment 22, connecting each of the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to the electrical equipment 22. The multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 are installed in different areas of the vehicle 10. The electrical equipment 22 is equipment having a heat-generating component 24 (see Figure 9), which will be described later. The wire harness in this embodiment also connects the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other. The wire harness 30 comprises a circuit, a heat-conducting plate 70, and a heat conductor 80.

[0028] The circuit of the wire harness 30 includes circuits for connecting each of the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to the electrical equipment 22. In this embodiment, the circuit of the wire harness 30 also includes circuits for connecting the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other.

[0029] The circuit of the wire harness 30 includes at least wiring 50. At least a portion of the path of the circuit of the wire harness 30 is made up of wiring 50. Multiple wires 50 are arranged along a flat path.

[0030] The thermal conductive plate 70 is a plate that extends along the wiring 50. In other words, multiple wirings 50 include portions that extend along the thermal conductive plate 70. The thermal conductive plate 70 is positioned along the flattened shape of the multiple wirings 50, so the wire harness 30 as a whole has a flattened shape. Because the wire harness 30 has a flattened shape, it is easy to position the wire harness 30 along one main surface of the panel.

[0031] The thermal conductive plate 70 is a plate with good thermal conductivity, such as a metal plate made of iron, aluminum, or copper. The thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive plate 70 is greater than that of air, and preferably greater than that of resin. For example, the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive plate 70 is 80 (W / mK) or higher, preferably 230 (W / mK) or higher.

[0032] The thermal conductor 80 is interposed between the circuit and the thermal conductive plate 70, providing a thermal connection between the circuit and the thermal conductive plate 70. In this embodiment, the thermal conductor 80 is connected to the wiring 50 of the circuit. In this embodiment, the thermal conductor 80 is insulating. As a result, when both the circuit and the portion of the thermal conductive plate 70 that the thermal conductor 80 contacts are conductors, electrical connection between the circuit and the thermal conductive plate 70 via the thermal conductor 80 is suppressed.

[0033] For example, the thermal conductor 80 may be a thermally conductive insulating rubber having good thermal conductivity and insulating properties. The thermally conductive rubber is, for example, rubber containing a filler (such as magnesium oxide) that has good thermal conductivity and insulating properties. The thermal conductor 80 may also be ceramics or thermally conductive grease. The thermal conductor 80 has better thermal conductivity than air, and preferably has better thermal conductivity than the resin forming the base member 54 and the resin forming the covering 53b of the wiring 50. For example, the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductor 80 is 1.0 (W / mK) or higher, preferably 6.5 (W / mK) or higher. The thermal conductor 80 may also be a conductor (a good electrical conductor).

[0034] <Regarding the placement area and connection relationships of the wire harness> For convenience, we will first explain the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10, the counterpart wire harness 20, and the electrical equipment 22.

[0035] The placement area of ​​the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Considering that the wire harness 30 is interposed between multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20, it is preferable that the placement area of ​​the wire harness 30 be an area close to the boundary of multiple areas where the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 are each placed. Here, the placement area of ​​the wire harness 30 is described as the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect.

[0036] The dash panel 11 separates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment in the vehicle 10. The area in front of the dash panel 11 is the engine compartment, and the area behind the dash panel 11 is the passenger compartment. Typically, the instrument panel is located behind the dash panel 11, and the instrument panel is exposed to the passenger compartment. The dash panel 11 includes a main body portion 12 and an overhang portion 13. The main surface of the main body portion 12 of the dash panel 11 extends in the left-right and up-down directions in the vehicle 10. The overhang portion 13 is located below the left-right ends of the main body portion 12. The overhang portion 13 is the part that extends from the main body portion 12 towards the passenger compartment. The overhang portion 13 is the part that provides the wheel wells in the vehicle 10.

[0037] The cowl side panel 15 is connected to the dash panel 11 on both the left and right sides. The main surface of the cowl side panel 15 extends in the front-rear and up-down directions on the vehicle 10. Figure 2 shows the area where the cowl side panel 15, located on the left side of the dash panel 11, intersects with the dash panel 11. The lower front edge of the cowl side panel 15 is curved in accordance with the protruding portion 13.

[0038] The end of the instrument panel reinforcement 17 is fixed to the cowl side panel 15. The instrument panel reinforcement 17 is provided between the dash panel 11 and the instrument panel. The instrument panel reinforcement 17 is a rod-shaped member that is elongated in the left-right direction.

[0039] A floor panel 18 is provided below the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect. The main surface of the floor panel 18 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions within the vehicle 10.

[0040] If the area where the wire harness 30 is located is the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect, the corresponding wire harness 20 could be an engine room harness 20A, an instrument panel harness 20B, a door harness 20C, or a floor harness 20D. The engine room harness 20A is located in the engine room. The instrument panel harness 20B is located so as to extend along the instrument panel reinforcement 17. The door harness 20C is located in the door. The floor harness 20D is located on the floor. The corresponding wire harness 20 could also be a roof harness 20E. The roof harness 20E is located in the roof.

[0041] In this disclosure, the term "engine room" is a convenient designation for the front compartment located in front of the passenger compartment, and it is not necessarily required that an engine be located in the engine room. Similarly, in this disclosure, the term "engine room harness 20A" is a convenient designation for the mating wire harness 20 located in the front compartment located in front of the passenger compartment.

[0042] The area where the wire harness 30 is located and the area where the engine room harness 20A is located are separated by the dash panel 11. A through-hole 14 is formed in the dash panel 11. The wire harness 30 and the engine room harness 20A are connected through this through-hole 14. Similarly, the area where the wire harness 30 is located and the area where the door harness 20C is located are separated by the cowl side panel 15. A through-hole 16 is formed in the cowl side panel 15. The wire harness 30 and the door harness 20C are connected through this through-hole 16. On the side edge of the floor panel 18 in the vehicle, for example, there is a rocker section 18a. The end of the floor harness 20D that connects to the wire harness 30 extends along the rocker section 18a in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The roof is located above the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect. For example, the end of the roof harness 20E that connects to the wire harness 30 extends along the A-pillar 19 from the roof to the area where the dash panel 11 and cowl side panel 15 intersect or near thereto.

[0043] <Regarding electrical equipment> The electrical equipment 22 is located in the same area as the wire harness 30. In the example shown in Figure 2, the electrical equipment 22 is fixed to the cowl side panel 15. The electrical equipment 22 may also be fixed to the dash panel 11, instrument panel reinforcement 17, or floor panel 18, etc.

[0044] The electrical device 22 is an electrical device having a heat-generating component 24, and is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). In the vehicle 10, one central ECU and multiple zone ECUs may be provided. Zone ECUs are provided for each of the multiple zones that are divided into in the vehicle 10. Zone ECUs mainly perform control of the devices located within their respective zones. The central ECU coordinates the multiple zone ECUs to achieve cooperative control throughout the entire vehicle 10. The electrical device 22 may be, for example, a zone ECU. In this case, the devices controlled by the electrical device 22 as a zone ECU are multiple devices to which the engine room harness 20A, instrument panel harness 20B, door harness 20C, and floor harness 20D are connected.

[0045] However, the electrical device 22, which is an ECU, may be a general-purpose ECU other than a zone ECU. Also, the electrical device 22 does not have to be an ECU; for example, it may be a junction block (also called an electrical connection box, etc.). The electrical device 22 has heat-generating components. Heat-generating components are elements that generate heat in an electrical circuit, such as electromagnetic relays, semiconductor switches, fuses, and ICs (Integrated Circuits).

[0046] <About wire harnesses> In this embodiment, the wire harness 30 includes a circuit with wiring 50, a thermal conductive plate 70, and a thermal conductor 80, as well as several types of connectors 42 and 44, and a base member 54.

[0047] The wiring 50 extends from the electrical equipment 22 having the heat-generating component 24. In this embodiment, the wiring is an electric wire 53. The electric wire 53 has a core wire 53a and a sheath 53b covering the core wire 53a. The electric wire 53 is a single wire in which one core wire 53a is covered by one sheath 53b. The electric wire may be a composite wire in which multiple core wires are covered by one sheath.

[0048] An intermediate stripped section 53c is provided in the middle of the electric wire 53 along its extending direction. The intermediate stripped section 53c is a portion where the insulation 53b covering the core wire 53a is partially absent. Insulation 53b is present at both the one end and the other end of the electric wire 53 beyond the intermediate stripped section 53c. A heat conductor 80 is connected to the intermediate stripped section 53c of the electric wire 53.

[0049] In this configuration, a heat conductor 80 is connected to some of the multiple wires 50, while the heat conductor is not connected to some of the other wires 50. Here, the wires 50 include a signal line 50S and a power line 50P. The conductor cross-sectional area of ​​the power line 50P is larger than that of the signal line 50S. The power line 50P is configured to carry a larger current than the signal line 50S. The heat conductor 80 is connected to the power line 50P, while the heat conductor 80 is not connected to the signal line 50S.

[0050] The various types of connectors 42 and 44 have different destinations. The various types of connectors 42 and 44 are positioned to correspond to the connection points to the electrical equipment 22 and the mating wire harness 20.

[0051] Connectors 42 and 44 are connected to each of the multiple ends of the wiring 50. The wiring 50 is connected to the electrical equipment 22 via connector 42 and to the mating wire harness 20 via connector 44. It is not mandatory for the wiring 50 to be connected to the electrical equipment 22 and the mating wire harness 20 via connectors 42 and 44. At least a portion of the wiring 50 may be wiring directly drawn from the electrical equipment 22 or wiring directly connected to the wiring of the mating wire harness 20.

[0052] The base member 54 is interposed between the wiring 50 and the thermal conductive plate 70. The base member 54 has a window portion 55e formed therein. The thermal conductor 80 connects the core wire 53a at the intermediate stripped portion 53c and the thermal conductive plate 70 via the window portion 55e. For example, the base member 54 may be a member that keeps multiple wirings 50 flat. Alternatively, for example, the base member 54 may be a member that protects multiple wirings 50. The base member 54 may be formed in a shape that branches or bends depending on the positions of the multiple types of connectors 42, 44 and the path of the wiring 50.

[0053] In this embodiment, the base member 54 is a protector 54. The protector 54 has a body 55 and a cover 56. A groove 55d is formed in the body 55. The wiring 50 fits into the groove 55d. The cover 56 covers the opening of the groove 55d. The protector 54 is a molded product of a relatively rigid resin and does not have the flexibility to bend together with the wiring 50. The protector 54 is molded in advance to have a shape corresponding to the path of the wiring 50 and has the rigidity to maintain that shape. By being housed in the protector 54, the wiring 50 is held in a state corresponding to the shape of the protector 54, that is, in a state along the predetermined path of the wiring 50.

[0054] The main body 55 has a base plate 55a and a plurality of side plates 55b. The plurality of side plates 55b protrude from the main surface of the base plate 55a. The main body 55 has the rigidity to maintain the state in which the side plates 55b protrude from the base plate 55a. The plurality of side plates 55b are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the base plate 55a. The side plates 55b are provided at both ends along the width direction of the base plate 55a. The side plates 55b separate the inside from the outside of the main body 55. The protrusion dimension of the side plates 55b from the base plate 55a is smaller than the width dimension of the base plate 55a. Therefore, in the main body 55, the accommodation space for accommodating the plurality of wires 50 is flat. In addition, by providing the side plates 55b along a predetermined path, a flat accommodation space for accommodating the plurality of wires 50 is formed in the protector 54 along a predetermined path. The wire harness 30 is kept flat by housing multiple wires 50 in the flat housing space. It is not essential that the wire harness 30 is flat. The protector may be formed to have similar width and height dimensions.

[0055] At the end on the device connector 42 side, a plate portion is also provided in the middle section along the width direction of the bottom plate 55a. The plate portion in the middle section along the width direction of the bottom plate 55a is a partition plate 55c. The partition plate 55c divides the internal space of the main body 55. By providing the partition plate 55c, multiple grooves 55d are arranged in parallel in the internal space of the main body 55.

[0056] The partition plate 55c is partially provided at the end on the equipment connector 42 side. A configuration is available in which multiple parallel storage spaces are formed in the portion where the partition plate 55c is provided, and a configuration is available in which a single storage space is formed in the portion where the partition plate 55c is not provided. Either the configuration in which multiple parallel storage spaces are formed in the portion where the partition plate 55c is provided, or the configuration in which a single storage space is formed in the portion where the partition plate 55c is not provided, may be omitted, and the other may be continuous.

[0057] Here, at the end on the equipment connector 42 side, three partition plates 55c are provided in parallel. As a result, at the end on the equipment connector 42 side, four grooves 55d are provided in parallel within the internal space of the main body 55. Three of the four grooves 55d each accommodate one wire 50. These wires 50 are either power lines 50P or ground wires. One of the four grooves 55d accommodates multiple wires 50 together. These wires 50 are signal lines 50S.

[0058] The lid 56 has a lid plate portion 56a and a side plate portion 56b. The lid plate portion 56a covers the opening of the groove 55d. The side plate portion 56b overlaps the outside of the side plate 55b. The side plate portion 56b may be omitted. The lid 56 is attached to the main body 55. For example, the main body 55 and the lid 56 may be locked together by a locking portion provided on the lid 56 engaging with a receiving portion provided on the main body 55.

[0059] The connectors 42 and 44 may be held by the protector 54. Alternatively, the wiring 50 may extend from the end of the protector 54, and the connectors 42 and 44 may be provided separately from the protector 54.

[0060] In this embodiment, the thermal conductive plate 70 is flat. The thermal conductive plate 70 may be curved in the thickness direction. The thermal conductive plate 70 includes a wiring overlap region 72. The wiring overlap region 72 is a region that extends along the wiring 50. In this embodiment, the wiring overlap region 72 extends along the entire path of the wiring 50, except for the region adjacent to the connector 44 at the end of the wiring 50. The wiring overlap region 72 only needs to overlap at least a portion of the path of the wiring 50. The wiring overlap region 72 may have additional regions that do not overlap the path of the wiring 50.

[0061] The thermal conductive plate 70 may have fixing parts for fixing to a vehicle by fasteners such as bolts or clips. In Figure 3, a part of a fixing piece 71 is shown as an example of a fixing part. The fixing piece 71 is a partial plate-like portion that extends outward from the outer edge of the thermal conductive plate 70 and has an insertion hole 71a. With the fixing piece 71 in contact with the vehicle (for example, the cowl side panel 15), the fixing piece 71 is fixed to the vehicle by bolts or the like. When the thermal conductive plate 70 is in contact with the vehicle, heat is more easily transferred from the thermal conductive plate 70 to the vehicle. Multiple fixing pieces 71 are provided around the thermal conductive plate 70 as needed.

[0062] The fixing structure for the thermal conductive plate 70 to the vehicle is not limited to the above example. The thermal conductive plate 70 may be fixed to the vehicle by other fitting structures, welding, etc., or it may be supported in a fixed position by electrical equipment 22, etc.

[0063] The protector 54 may be integrated with the heat conductive plate 70. For example, the protector 54 may have a fixing portion for fixing to the heat conductive plate 70 by fasteners such as bolts or clips. In Figure 3, a part of a fixing piece 55f is shown as an example of a fixing portion. The fixing piece 55f is a partial plate-like portion that extends outward from the outer peripheral edge of the main body 55 or lid 56 and has a hole 55g. With the fixing piece 55f in contact with the heat conductive plate 70, the fixing piece is fixed to the heat conductive plate 70 by bolts S or the like. Multiple fixing pieces 55f are provided around the protector 54 as needed.

[0064] Alternatively, for example, the wiring 50 and protector 54 may be arranged on one main surface of the thermal conductive plate 70 (the side opposite to the side in contact with the vehicle), and then fastening members 76 such as adhesive tape or cable ties (see Figure 3) may be fastened to them. The integration of the wiring 50 and protector 54 with the thermal conductive plate 70 is not limited to the above example, and may be done by, for example, double-sided tape or adhesive.

[0065] If the wiring 50 and the thermal conductive plate 70 are integrated, the thermal conductive plate 70 can play a role in keeping the wiring 50 flat along the thermal conductive plate 70.

[0066] In this embodiment, the thermal conductive plate 70 includes an equipment overlapping region 74. The equipment overlapping region 74 is an area that overlaps with the electrical equipment 22. In this embodiment, the connector 42 is connected to the electrical equipment 22. Therefore, the electrical equipment 22 is located on the extension of the wiring 50 that connects to the connector 42. The equipment overlapping region 74 is an area that extends from the wiring overlapping region 72 toward the area where the electrical equipment 22 is located. In this embodiment, the equipment overlapping region 74 overlaps the entire electrical equipment 22. The equipment overlapping region 74 only needs to overlap at least a part of the electrical equipment 22. The equipment overlapping region 74 may also have an additional area that does not overlap the electrical equipment 22.

[0067] Furthermore, multiple wires 50 may be fixed to the thermal conductive plate 70 by fastening members such as adhesive tape, cable ties, double-sided tape, adhesive, etc.

[0068] <Regarding heat dissipation paths using thermally conductive plates in wire harnesses> This section describes the heat dissipation path using the thermally conductive plate 70 in the wire harness 30.

[0069] A window portion 55e is formed on the plate portion of the base member 54 that faces the wiring 50 to be dissipated. The window portion 55e only needs to be formed in a position that allows at least a portion of the wiring 50 to face outwards. In other words, when the plate portion of the base member 54 on which the window portion 55e is formed is observed from the outside along a direction perpendicular to the plate portion, at least a portion of the window portion 55e and at least a portion of the wiring 50 should overlap. In Figures 5 and 6, the window portion 55e is provided individually for each of the multiple wirings 50 to be dissipated. The window portion may have multiple regions that overlap the multiple wirings 50 to be dissipated and may connect these multiple regions. In other words, the window portion may be formed as a single window portion common to the multiple wirings 50 to be dissipated.

[0070] A window portion 55e is formed in the bottom plate 55a and the cover plate portion 56a that are interposed between the wiring 50 and the heat-conducting plate 70. Here, the protector 54 is positioned so that the bottom plate 55a is interposed between the wiring 50 and the heat-conducting plate 70. For this reason, a window portion 55e is formed in the bottom plate 55a. The protector 54 may also be positioned so that the cover plate portion 56a is interposed between the wiring 50 and the heat-conducting plate 70. In this case, a window portion may be formed in the cover plate portion 56a.

[0071] The window portion 55e is located slightly inward from the edge of the bottom plate 55a on the equipment connector 42 side. The intermediate stripped portion 53c is located at a position corresponding to the window portion 55e. Here, along the direction of extension of the wiring 50, the intermediate stripped portion 53c is longer than the window portion 55e. The dimensions of the window portion 55e along the width direction of the wiring 50 are greater than the diameter of the core wire 53a.

[0072] The wiring overlapping region 72 of the thermal conductive plate 70 is positioned along the plate portion of the base member 54 in which the window portion 55e is formed. It is preferable that the thermal conductive plate 70 is kept in a fixed position relative to the base member 54. The base member 54 may be fixed to the thermal conductive plate 70. For example, the hole 55g of the fixing piece 55f may be superimposed on the hole 70a formed in the thermal conductive plate 70. In this case, a bolt S may be inserted through the hole and fastened with a nut. If a nut is provided on the vehicle side, the protector and the thermal conductive plate 70 can be fixed to the vehicle 10 together. Figure 6 illustrates one fixing piece. Multiple fixing pieces may be provided around the base member as needed. The thermal conductive plate 70 and the base member may be fixed separately to the vehicle 10, etc., thereby maintaining a fixed positional relationship between the thermal conductive plate 70 and the base member.

[0073] The heat conductor 80 is formed in a shape that can be placed within the window portion 55e. In this embodiment, the window portion 55e is rectangular, and the heat conductor 80 is a rectangular parallelepiped that can be placed within the window portion 55e. The side of the heat conductor 80 facing the wiring 50 can face the wiring 50. The surface of the heat conductor 80 only needs to face at least a part of the wiring 50. The surface of the heat conductor 80 may have a portion that protrudes laterally from the wiring 50. In this embodiment, the surface of the heat conductor 80 extends to the same size as the window portion 55e. The surface of the heat conductor 80 before contact with the wiring 50 is flat, and may deform into a concave surface corresponding to the convex surface of the outer surface of the wiring 50 when pressed toward the wiring 50.

[0074] The heat conductor 80 may have a shape other than a rectangular parallelepiped. For example, the heat conductor 80 may be cylindrical, with a circular end face positioned opposite the wiring 50.

[0075] It is preferable that the outer surface of the heat conductor 80 is positioned to be in contact with the inner surface of the window portion 55e. This makes it difficult for water, dust, etc. to enter the base member 54 through the space between the heat conductor 80 and the window portion 55e.

[0076] If the heat conductor 80 is made of rubber, it is easier to make the heat conductor 80 adhere closely to the wiring 50 and the heat conductive plate 70. Also, it is easier to make the heat conductor 80 adhere closely to the inner surface of the window portion 55e.

[0077] The lid 56 may press the wiring 50 toward the heat conductor 80. The wiring 50 and the heat conductor 80 may be pressed against the peripheral portion of the window portion 55e of the bottom plate 55a and the lid 56. In this case, the heat conductor 80 protrudes into the internal space of the protector 54 through the window portion 55e and pushes the core wire 53a in the intermediate stripped portion 53c toward the lid 56. As a result, the portion of the wiring 50 located in the window portion 55e and adjacent to it separates from the bottom plate 55a and moves toward the lid plate portion 56a. The lid plate portion 56a presses this portion, so that the core wire 53a in the intermediate stripped portion 53c is pressed toward the heat conductor 80. The lid 56 may be provided with a pressing member that protrudes toward the wiring 50 from the inner surface of the lid plate portion 56a. The pressing member and the heat conductor 80 may be sandwiched together so that they press the wiring 50 from opposite sides.

[0078] The heat conductor 80 does not necessarily have to protrude into the internal space of the protector 54 through the window portion 55e. In this case, it is preferable that the retaining member provided on the lid 56 presses the wiring 50 toward the heat conductor 80. A portion of the wiring 50 pressed by the retaining member may enter the window portion 55e.

[0079] Other intervening materials may be interposed between the heat conductor 80 and the wiring 50, or between the heat conductor 80 and the wiring overlap region 72. These intervening materials may be a heat conductive sheet, a heat conductive adhesive, a heat conductive double-sided tape, or a heat conductive grease to improve adhesion to the mating surface. If the intervening material is a heat conductive adhesive or a heat conductive double-sided tape, the heat conductor 80 can be kept fixed to the wiring 50 or the wiring overlap region 72.

[0080] The heat conductor 80 may be fixed to the heat conductive plate 70. If the heat conductor 80 is fixed to the heat conductive plate 70, it becomes easier to interpose the heat conductor 80 between the wiring 50 and the wiring overlap area 72 when integrating the protector 54 and the heat conductive plate 70. For example, when assembling the protector 54 to the heat conductive plate 70, if the heat conductor 80 fixed to the heat conductive plate 70 is inserted into the window portion 55e, the heat conductor 80 will be positioned between the wiring 50 and the wiring overlap area 72.

[0081] The heat conductor 80 may be fixed to the protector 54. If the heat conductor 80 is fixed to the protector 54, it becomes easier to interpose the heat conductor 80 between the wiring 50 and the wiring overlap region 72 through the window portion 55e when integrating the protector 54 and the heat conductive plate 70. For example, a groove may be formed on the outer circumference of the heat conductor 80 to fit into the periphery of the window portion 55e. Alternatively, for example, the heat conductor 80 may have a main body portion sized to correspond to the window portion 55e and a flange portion that extends outside the main body portion and is larger than the window portion 55e. The main body portion may protrude to the outside of the protector 54 through the window portion 55e, and the flange portion may catch on the periphery of the window portion 55e inside the protector 54.

[0082] The heat conductor 80 may be fixed to the wiring 50. If the heat conductor 80 is fixed to the wiring 50, positioning the heat conductor 80 in relation to the window portion 55e becomes unnecessary when integrating the protector 54 and the heat conductive plate 70, and it becomes easier to interpose the heat conductor 80 between the wiring 50 and the wiring overlap region 72. For example, the heat conductor 80 may have a wiring fixing portion fixed to the wiring 50 and a protruding portion protruding from the wiring fixing portion. The protruding portion may protrude to the outside of the protector 54 through the window portion 55e.

[0083] A first modified example relating to the base member 54 is shown in Figure 7. As shown in the figure, the base member 362 in the modified example is a flexible sheet member 58. The sheet member 58 has the flexibility to follow the bending of the wiring 50. This makes it easy to install the base member 362. Also, the wiring 50 and the sheet member 58 can be bent together. The sheet member 58 covers the wiring 50 from one side. In this case, as shown in Figure 7, on the side without the sheet member 58, an insulating member 59 such as an insulating tape separate from the sheet member 58 may cover the core wire 53a of the intermediate stripped portion 53c. This prevents the core wire 53a from being exposed.

[0084] The sheet member 58 is, for example, a resin sheet. The sheet member 58 may also be a sheet having fibrous material, such as a nonwoven fabric. The sheet member 58 may also be a sheet having a solid cross-section.

[0085] The wiring 50 may be fixed to the sheet member 58. The manner in which the wiring 50 and the sheet member 58 are fixed is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the wiring 50 and the sheet member 58 may be fixed by fusion bonding. In this case, the resin contained in at least one of the insulation 53b of the electric wire 53 (which is the wiring 50) and the main surface of the sheet member 58 melts and adheres to the surface of the other member, thus fixing them in place. Alternatively, for example, the wiring 50 and the sheet member 58 may be attached together with an adhesive or tack. Multiple wirings 50 are arranged side by side on the main surface of the sheet member 58. The parallel arrangement may be maintained by fixing each wiring 50 to the sheet member 58.

[0086] A window portion 58a is formed in the sheet member 58. Similar to the case where the base member is a protector 54, the core wire 53a in the intermediate stripped portion 53c and the heat conductor 80 are connected via the window portion 58a. The wiring 50 may be fixed to the sheet member 58 at positions on both sides of the intermediate stripped portion 53c. This makes it difficult for the wiring 50 to separate from the heat conductor 80 when the heat conductor 80 protrudes from the sheet member 58 on the side of the sheet member 58 where the wiring 50 is located via the window portion 58a and comes into contact with the wiring 50.

[0087] A second modified example relating to the circuit and the heat conductor 80 is shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0088] The circuit further has terminals 42a connected to the ends of the wiring 50. The thermal conductor 82 connects terminals 42a to the thermal conductive plate 70. This allows the thermal conductor 80 to be connected to the circuit at a position closer to the electrical equipment 22. Terminals 42a are connector terminals provided on the equipment connector 42. Terminals 42a are held in the connector housing 42b of the equipment connector 42. Here, terminals 42a are housed in the cavity 42c of the connector housing 42b.

[0089] The electrical device 22 shown in Figure 9 comprises a case 23, a heat-generating component 24, a circuit board 25, and a connector 26.

[0090] Case 23 is a box formed from resin or the like. For example, case 23 is formed in a flat box shape. The heat-generating component 24 is housed inside case 23. A circuit board 25 is fixed inside case 23. The heat-generating component 24 is mounted on the circuit board 25. The circuit board 25 has a circuit pattern 25a formed from copper foil or the like. In Figure 9, one heat-generating component 24 and the circuit pattern 25a on which this heat-generating component 24 is mounted are shown as representative examples. The number and position of the heat-generating components 24 are arbitrary. Other electronic components may be mounted on the circuit board 25.

[0091] The connector 26 penetrates the inside and outside of the case 23 at one side panel of the case 23. The terminals 26a of the connector 26 are electrically connected to the circuit pattern 25a of the circuit board 25 inside the case 23.

[0092] When connector 26 and equipment connector 42 are connected, terminals 26a and 42a connect the circuit pattern 25a of the electrical equipment 22 to the wiring 50. In the example shown in Figure 9, the circuit to which the heat conductor 82 is connected in the wire harness 230 is connected to the circuit pattern 25a on which the heat-generating component 24 is mounted. This makes it easier for the heat from the heat-generating component 24 to be transferred to the heat conductor 82. The circuit to which the heat conductor 82 is connected in the wire harness 230 may be connected to a different circuit pattern than the circuit pattern 25a on which the heat-generating component 24 is mounted.

[0093] Here, the heat conductor 82 is a heat-drawn wire 82. The heat-drawn wire 82 is connected to the terminal 42a. This increases the thermal conductivity through the heat conductor 82. The heat-drawn wire 82 has a conductor wire 82a and a sheath 82b. For example, one end of the conductor wire 82a is connected to the terminal 42a together with the wiring 50. The manner in which the wiring 50 and the conductor wire 82a are connected to the terminal 42a is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the core wire 53a of the wiring 50 and the conductor wire 82a may be crimped together to the terminal 42a. For example, the conductor wire 82a and the terminal 42a may be connected by welding or soldering, for example. The other end of the conductor wire 82a is connected to the heat-conductive plate 70. The other end of the conductor wire 82a and the heat-conductive plate 70 are connected by welding or soldering, for example.

[0094] The heat conductor 84 is a filling member 84. The filling member 84 is insulating. The filling member 84 is filled in the space of the cavity 42c on the side from which the wiring 50 is drawn out. This makes it easy to provide a heat conductor 84 that is connected to the terminal 42a. Such a filling member 84 is, for example, thermal conductive grease. Here, the filling member 84 does not have a portion that protrudes outside the cavity 42c and is not connected to the thermal conductive plate 70. The filling member 84 is in close contact with the heat drawing wire 82 and the terminal 42a within the cavity 42c and helps conduct heat to the heat drawing wire 82. The filling member 84 may have a portion that protrudes outside the cavity 42c, and the portion that protrudes outside the cavity 42c may be connected to the thermal conductive plate 70. In this case, the heat drawing wire 82 may be omitted.

[0095] <Examples of wiring connections> Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationships between multiple types of connectors 42, 44 and multiple wires 50. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationships between the equipment connector 42, the first harness connector 44X, and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0096] The wire harness 30 includes an equipment connector 42 and multiple types of harness connectors 44. The equipment connector 42 is connected to the connector 26 of the electrical equipment 22. Each of the multiple types of harness connectors 44 is connected to a different connector of the mating wire harness 20. In this case, the multiple types of harness connectors 44 include an engine room (ER) harness connector 44A, an instrument panel (IP) harness connector 44B, a door (DR) harness connector 44C, and a floor (FL) harness connector 44D. However, it is not necessary to provide all of the multiple types of harness connectors 44, including the engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D; it is sufficient to provide two or more types. Furthermore, if a roof harness 20E is assumed to be the mating wire harness 20, a roof harness connector 44E is provided as one of several types of harness connectors 44. The roof harness connector 44E may be positioned above, for example, the equipment connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D in the vehicle. The wiring connected to the roof harness connector 44E may extend vertically along the side of the equipment 22.

[0097] In the example shown in Figure 6, each type of connector 40 is considered a single connector. That is, the equipment connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are each considered a single connector. In this disclosure, even if there are two or more connectors, they are considered a single type of connector if they are connected to the same destination. In other words, no matter how many connectors are connected to the same equipment 22 or the same mating wire harness 20, they are considered a single type of connector. Another way of looking at it is that each of the multiple types of connectors 40 consists of one or more connectors (hereinafter referred to as split connectors). Each type of connector may include connectors having the same structure. Here, even if connectors have the same structure, if they are connected to different destinations, they are considered different types of connectors.

[0098] At least one of the multiple types of connectors 40 may have two or more split connectors. For example, the connector 40 with the most pins among the multiple types of connectors 40 (e.g., equipment connector 42) may have two or more split connectors. This makes it easier to manufacture the connector 40 with the most pins among the multiple types of connectors 40.

[0099] When connector 40 includes multiple split connectors, it is preferable that there are four or more types of connectors 40, and that the number of split connectors is N or less. However, N is the number of types of connectors 40 in the wire harness 30 minus 2. This reduces the number of connector pairs to be mated compared to the case where each of the other types of connectors 40 is connected to the other of one type of connector 40. Specifically, in this case, there are five types of connectors 40 in the wire harness 30: equipment connector 42, engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D. Therefore, when each of the equipment connector 42, engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D includes multiple split connectors, it is preferable that the number is three or less. For example, if four mating wire harnesses 20—engine room harness 20A, instrument panel harness 20B, door harness 20C, and floor harness 20D—are each connected to equipment 22, then four sets of connectors need to be mated. In contrast, if the equipment connector 42 consists of three or fewer split connectors, the number of connector sets to be mated can be reduced to three or fewer.

[0100] Multiple wirings 50 include through-circuit wiring 52 and multiple device wirings 51. Through-circuit wiring 52 connects harness connectors 44 to each other. Device wiring 51 connects device connectors 42 to harness connectors 44.

[0101] As shown in Figure 10, here, equipment wiring 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D are provided as equipment wiring 51. Equipment wiring 51A connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the equipment connector 42. Equipment wiring 51B connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the equipment connector 42. Equipment wiring 51C connects the door harness connector 44C and the equipment connector 42. Equipment wiring 51D connects the floor harness connector 44D and the equipment connector 42. Note that each of the equipment wirings 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D may be one or multiple wires.

[0102] As shown in Figure 10, through-circuit wiring 52 is provided, consisting of through-circuit wiring 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, and 52E. Through-circuit wiring 52A connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the instrument panel harness connector 44B. Through-circuit wiring 52B connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the floor harness connector 44D. Through-circuit wiring 52C connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the door harness connector 44C. Through-circuit wiring 52D connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the floor harness connector 44D. Through-circuit wiring 52E connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D. Note that each of the through-circuit wirings 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, and 52E may be a single wire or multiple wires.

[0103] Therefore, in this case, wiring 50 is provided in nine of the ten paths between the five types of connectors 42 and 44, excluding one path between the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C.

[0104] As shown in Figure 11, in this disclosure, the multiple types of harness connectors 44 include a first harness connector 44X and a second harness connector 44Y. The first harness connector 44X is connected to a first mating wire harness 20X. The second harness connector 44Y is connected to a second mating wire harness 20Y. The three types of connectors 42, 44, the equipment connector 42, the first harness connector 44X, and the second harness connector 44Y are interconnected by wiring 50. Specifically, the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y are connected to the equipment connector 42 by multiple equipment wirings 51. The equipment connector 42 and the first harness connector 44X are connected by first equipment wiring 51X. The equipment connector 42 and the second harness connector 44Y are connected by second equipment wiring 51Y. The connector 44X for the first harness and the connector 44Y for the second harness are connected by a through-circuit wiring 52. This section explains whether the four types of harness connectors 44—engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D—correspond to the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0105] Six combinations are generated by selecting two of the four types of harness connectors 44: the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D. Of these six combinations, five of the six, excluding the one consisting of the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, have through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the two types of harness connectors 44 in the set. Furthermore, all four types of harness connectors 44, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D, are connected to the equipment connector 42 via equipment wiring 51. Therefore, five of the six combinations, excluding the one consisting of the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, can be considered as combinations of the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0106] On the other hand, in this case, the wire harness 30 does not have a through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C. For this reason, in this case, the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C are not considered to be a combination of the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0107] As multiple types of harness connectors 44, three or more types of harness connectors 44 may be provided, and the wire harness 30 may have through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the three or more types of harness connectors 44 to each other. Four sets are generated by selecting three types from the engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D. Of these four sets, two sets excluding the two sets that simultaneously include the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C have through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the three types of harness connectors 44 to each other. Of these four sets excluding the two sets that simultaneously include the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C can be considered as the three or more types of harness connectors 44.

[0108] Specifically, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, and the floor harness connector 44D are interconnected via through-circuit wiring 52A, 52B, and 52D. Therefore, the combination of the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, and the floor harness connector 44D can be considered as three or more harness connectors 44. Similarly, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are interconnected via through-circuit wiring 52C, 52D, and 52E. Therefore, the combination of the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D can be considered as three or more harness connectors 44.

[0109] However, the wire harness 30 may also be provided with through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C. In this case, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are connected to each other via through-circuit wiring 52.

[0110] Furthermore, it is understood that the above wiring 50 also includes multiple wires 51X and 51Y that branch off from the equipment connector 42 and are connected to the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0111] Based on the above example of wiring 50 connection relationships, an example of the arrangement of the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10 will be described.

[0112] As shown in Figure 2, a portion of the wire harness 30 is routed along the dashboard panel 11. The portion of the wiring extending from the engine compartment harness connector 44A is held in place so as to be routed along the dashboard panel 11.

[0113] Furthermore, another portion of the wire harness 30 is positioned along the cowl side panel 15. The instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are aligned in the vertical direction, and the wiring portions extending from each of the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are held in place so as to be positioned along the cowl side panel 15.

[0114] Furthermore, the wire harness 30 is positioned in a curved state in the thickness direction between the portion positioned along the dash panel 11 and the portion positioned along the cowl side panel 15. For example, the protector 54 may be provided on the portion of the wire harness 30 that is positioned along the cowl side panel 15. The wiring 50 may be curved outside the protector 54. The seat member 58 may be provided on the portion of the wire harness 30 that is positioned along the cowl side panel 15 and the portion that is positioned along the dash panel 11. The seat member 58 may be curved together with the wiring 50 between the portion positioned along the cowl side panel 15 and the portion positioned along the dash panel 11.

[0115] Each of the multiple wires 50 is no more than 1 meter long. In the wire harness 30, the longest wire 50 is either the through-circuit wire 52B connecting the engine room harness connector 44A and the floor harness connector 44D, or the through-circuit wire 52C connecting the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the floor harness connector 44D. The lengths of these through-circuit wires 52B and 52C are no more than 1 meter long.

[0116] <Examples of configurations for keeping wiring flattened> A third modified example relating to the wiring 50 and base member 54 is shown in Figure 12. As shown in the figure, multiple wiring groups 360 and 364 may be stacked to form a wire harness 330. In the example shown in Figure 12, some of the multiple wirings 50 are bundled together to form a first wiring group 360, while other parts of the multiple wirings 50 are bundled separately from the first wiring group 360 to form a second wiring group 364. Here, the multiple wirings 50 are fixed and bundled together to base members 362 and 366.

[0117] The first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are each formed in a flat shape and stacked on top of each other. Here, the first wiring group 360 has a plurality of electric wires 361 and a flat base member 362 that keeps the plurality of electric wires 361 flat. Here, the electric wires 361 and the base member 362 are fixed. The electric wires 361 and the base member 362 do not have to be fixed. The second wiring group 364 has a plurality of electric wires 365 and a flat base member 366 that keeps the plurality of electric wires 365 flat. Here, the electric wires 365 and the base member 366 are fixed. The electric wires 365 and the base member 366 do not have to be fixed.

[0118] The first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are stacked such that the main surface of the base member 362 to which the electric wire 361 is fixed faces the main surface of the base member 366 to which the electric wire 365 is fixed. This protects the electric wires 361 and 365 by surrounding them with the base members 362 and 366. However, the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 may be stacked such that the main surface of the base member 362 to which the electric wire 361 is fixed faces the main surface of the base member 366 to which the electric wire 365 is not fixed faces the main surface of the base member 362 to which the electric wire 361 is not fixed faces the main surface of the base member 362. Furthermore, the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 may be stacked such that the main surface of the base member 362 to which the electric wire 361 is not fixed faces the main surface of the base member 366 to which the electric wire 365 is not fixed.

[0119] The first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are stacked so that wires 361 and 365 overlap. Wires 361 and 365 are arranged in two layers, with one layer of wire 361 and one layer of wire 365 overlapping. Depending on the space available where the wire harness 30 is to be placed, it may be desirable for at least a portion of the wire harness 30 to have a smaller width, even if the thickness is slightly larger. In such cases, for example, wires 361 and 365 may be arranged in three or more layers. Alternatively, for example, base members 362 and 366 may not be provided, and wires 361 and 365 may be bundled together with a binding member such as tape so that they have a circular cross-section.

[0120] The base member 362 has extension pieces 362a. The extension pieces 362a are provided on both sides of the portion where the electric wires 361 are arranged. The base member 366 also has similar extension pieces 366a. The first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are fixed together by fixing the extension pieces 362a of the base member 362 and the extension pieces 366a of the base member 366. However, the extension pieces 362a of the base member 362 and the extension pieces 366a of the base member 366 do not necessarily have to be fixed together.

[0121] <Examples of how to divide multiple wires> When the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are stacked to form a wire harness 330, as shown in the example in Figure 12, the way in which the multiple wires 50 are divided into the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Examples of how to divide the multiple wires 50 will be explained with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 is a diagram showing one example of how to divide the multiple wires 50. Figure 14 is a diagram showing another example of how to divide the multiple wires 50.

[0122] In the example shown in Figure 13, multiple wirings 50 are sorted based on the above-mentioned equipment wiring 51 and through-circuit wiring 52. Specifically, the majority of the first wiring group 360A are equipment wiring 51. The majority of the second wiring group 364A are through-circuit wiring 52. More than 60% of the first wiring group 360A may be equipment wiring 51, more than 70% may be equipment wiring 51, more than 80% may be equipment wiring 51, or more than 90% may be equipment wiring 51. Alternatively, all (100%) of the first wiring group 360A may be equipment wiring 51. Similarly, more than 60% of the second wiring group 364A may be through-circuit wiring 52, more than 70% may be through-circuit wiring 52, more than 80% may be through-circuit wiring 52, or more than 90% may be through-circuit wiring 52. Alternatively, all (100%) of the second wiring group 364 may be through-circuit wiring 52.

[0123] In the example shown in Figure 13, all (100%) of the first wiring group 360A are equipment wiring 51. Also, more than 90% of the second wiring group 364A are through-circuit wiring 52. Of the equipment wiring 51, equipment wiring 51A, which connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the equipment connector 42, is provided in the second wiring group 364A. Of the equipment wiring 51, equipment wiring 51B, 51C, and 51D, excluding equipment wiring 51A, are provided in the first wiring group 360A. All of the through-circuit wiring 52 is provided in the second wiring group 364A.

[0124] In the first wiring group 360A, the electric wires 361 are arranged so as not to cross each other on the base member 362. Similarly, in the second wiring group 364A, the electric wires 365 are arranged so as not to cross each other on the base member 366. This suppresses an increase in the thickness of the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364, and suppresses an increase in the thickness of the wire harness 30 formed by stacking the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364. However, at least one of the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 may be provided with an intersection where the electric wires cross each other on the base member.

[0125] In the example shown in Figure 14, the wiring 50 is sorted into a first wiring group 360B and a second wiring group 364B based on whether it is a power line 50P or a signal line 50S. Specifically, the majority of the first wiring group 360B consists of power lines 50P, and the majority of the second wiring group 364B consists of signal lines 50S. Alternatively, the proportion of power lines 50P in the first wiring group 360B is higher than the proportion of power lines in the second wiring group 364B. This allows for the separation of a large portion of power lines 50P from a large portion of signal lines 50S.

[0126] The proportion of 50P power lines within the first wiring group 360B is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the proportion of 50P power lines within the first wiring group 360B may be 50% or more, or less than 50%. In other words, the majority of the first wiring group 360B may be 50P power lines or signal lines.

[0127] Furthermore, the majority of all power lines in the wire harness 330 may be placed in the first wiring group 360B. The majority of all signal lines in the wire harness 330 may be placed in the second wiring group 364B. The first wiring group 360B may or may not include signal lines. The second wiring group 364B may or may not include power lines.

[0128] In the example shown in Figure 14, of the wiring 50 connected to the door harness connector 44C and the wiring 50 connected to the floor harness connector 44D, the power line 50P is provided in the first wiring group 360B, and the signal line 50S is provided in the second wiring group 364. The power line 50P1 in the first wiring group 360B connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the equipment connector 42, respectively. The power line 50P2 in the first wiring group 360B connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the other harness connector 44, respectively. The signal line 50S1 in the second wiring group 364B connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the equipment connector 42, respectively. The signal line 50S2 in the second wiring group 364B connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the other harness connector 44, respectively.

[0129] In the wire harness 330, only the second wiring group 364 of the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 is positioned along the dash panel 11. Therefore, the wire harness 330 is easily bent in the thickness direction between the portion positioned along the dash panel 11 and the portion positioned along the cowl side panel 15.

[0130] <Effects, etc.> As described above, the wire harness 30 is equipped with thermal conductors 80 and 82 that thermally connect the circuit and the thermal conductive plate 70, so that the heat generated by the heat-generating component 24 is transferred to the thermal conductive plate 70 via the circuit and the thermal conductors 80 and 82. The thermal conductive plate 70 is a plate that extends along the wiring 50. Therefore, the heat from the heat-generating component 24 is effectively dissipated by the thermal conductive plate 70, and the heat dissipation of the electrical equipment 22 to which the wire harness 30 is connected can be improved. Furthermore, the heat generated by the circuit of the wire harness 30 itself due to the current is also transferred to the thermal conductive plate 70 via the thermal conductors 80 and 82. Therefore, the temperature rise in the circuit of the wire harness 30 can be suppressed, and the size of the circuit can be reduced relative to the current size.

[0131] In particular, in recent years, there has been an increasing trend to install zone ECUs (Electronic Control Units) separately from the central ECU, with zone ECUs installed for each zone of the vehicle. It is desirable to miniaturize at least one of these central ECUs and zone ECUs while considering thermal management. According to this embodiment, by making the electrical equipment 22 a zone ECU, thermal management for the zone ECU can be implemented, and by implementing thermal management for the zone ECU, it becomes possible to miniaturize the zone ECU.

[0132] Furthermore, if the heat conductor 80 is connected to the core wire 53a, the thermal conductivity between the wiring 50 and the heat conductor 80 will increase. This will suppress the temperature rise in the core wire 53a, and the size of the core wire 53a can be reduced relative to the current value.

[0133] Furthermore, if the heat conductor 80 is connected to the core wire 53a in the intermediate stripped portion 53c, the insulation 53b can be interposed between the connection point between the core wire 53a and the heat conductor 80 and the electrical equipment 22, making it easier to ensure the necessary insulation.

[0134] Furthermore, if the heat conductor 80 connects the core wire 53a and the heat conductive plate 70 through the windows 55e and 58a formed in the base members 54 and 58, the wiring 50 can be protected by the base members 54 and 58 while ensuring the connection between the core wire 53a and the heat conductive plate 70 by the heat conductor 80.

[0135] Furthermore, if the lid 56 holds down the wiring 50 that contacts the heat conductor 80 through the window portion 55e formed in the main body 55, the contact between the wiring 50 and the heat conductor 80 is increased. This increases the thermal conductivity between the wiring 50 and the heat conductor 80.

[0136] Furthermore, if the base members 54 and 58 keep the multiple wires 50 flat, effective heat dissipation becomes possible with the easily adjustable heat-conducting plate 70.

[0137] Furthermore, power line 50P often has higher thermal conductivity than signal line 50S because it has a larger conductor cross-sectional area. If a thermal conductor 80 is connected to the circuit of power line 50P, the heat dissipation of the electrical equipment 22 will be further improved.

[0138] Furthermore, the wire harness 30 includes a device connector 42 and first harness connectors 44X and second harness connectors 44Y to which the connectors of the mating wire harnesses 20X and 20Y are connected, respectively, and the wiring 50 includes multiple wires that branch off from the device connector 42 and connect to the first harness connectors 44X and second harness connectors 44Y. Therefore, instead of providing separate connectors for the mating wire harnesses 20X and 20Y in the electrical device 22, it is sufficient to provide only connector 26. This reduces the number of connectors in the electrical device 22. Here, even if the total number of connector terminals in the electrical device is the same, if there are many connectors, the electrical device may become larger due to the space required for installing the connector housings. By reducing the number of connectors in the electrical device 22, it becomes possible to miniaturize the electrical device 22.

[0139] Furthermore, the wiring 50 includes a through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y. As a result, the mating wire harness 20X connected to the first harness connector 44X and the mating wire harness 20Y connected to the second harness connector 44Y are connected via the through-circuit wiring 52. This makes it possible to connect multiple types of mating wire harnesses to each other via this wire harness 30, simplifying the connection of multiple types of mating wire harnesses to each other and to equipment.

[0140] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example. Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view showing the wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example.

[0141] In the wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example, the shape of the connector 46 is different from the shape of the connector 44 in the wire harness 30. Specifically, at least one of the multiple types of connectors 44 consists of multiple split connectors 47, 48. The multiple split connectors 47, 48 include a first split connector 47 and a second split connector 48. The wiring 50 of the first wiring group 360 is connected to the first split connector 47. The wiring of the second wiring group 364 is connected to the second split connector 48. As a result, compared to the wire harness 30, it is less necessary to insert the other of the wiring 50 of the first wiring group 360 and the wiring 50 of the second wiring group 364 into a connector 44 into which either one of the wiring 50 of the first wiring group 360 or the wiring 50 of the second wiring group 364 has been pre-inserted. This makes it easy to manufacture the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 separately and then combine them later to form the wire harness 430.

[0142] Here, the first split connector 47 and the second split connector 48 are combined to form a laminated connector 46. Therefore, in this case, at least one of the multiple types of connectors 40, the connector 46, is a laminated connector 46 consisting of multiple split connectors 47, 48 that are combined with each other. The various types of connectors 44 may be divided in ways other than a laminated connector 46. For example, the equipment connector 42 may be divided into multiple split connectors arranged in a direction intersecting the thickness direction. The two split connectors may be connected to the electrical equipment 22 separately without being combined.

[0143] Figure 17 is a plan view showing a wire harness 530 according to the fifth modified example.

[0144] In the wire harness 530, the wiring 550 corresponding to the wiring 50 includes multiple wirings 550X and 550Y that branch off from the equipment connector 42 to multiple (in this case, two) harness connectors 544X and 544Y. The wiring 550 is fixed to a base member 558 such as a sheet member and kept in a flattened state.

[0145] The thermal conductive plate 570, corresponding to the thermal conductive plate 70, extends along the wiring 550. The thermal conductive plate 570 extends, for example, along the base member 558. Also, similar to the above embodiment, the thermal conductive plate 570 overlaps with the electrical equipment 22. In this modified example, the wire harness 530 does not have through-circuit wiring 52. In addition, the multiple wires 50 are not divided into multiple groups but are bundled together and kept in a flattened shape.

[0146] Figure 18 is a schematic perspective view showing the placement area of ​​the wire harness 530 according to the fifth modified example. This placement area of ​​the wire harness 530 may be, for example, an area adjacent to the rear seat or rear luggage. In this case, the opposing wire harness 20 may be a floor harness, a seat harness, or a rear harness. When the wire harness 530 is arranged in a bend, the heat conductive plate 570 may be configured to be divided into a portion located on one side of the bend and a portion located on the other side. This makes it easier to bend the wire harness 530 at the bend after the heat conductive plate 570 has been installed.

[0147] In addition, the window portion 55e of the protector 54 may be formed in the side plate 55b, and the heat conductor 80 may be in contact with the wiring 50 through the window portion of the side plate 55b. Alternatively, the window portion 55e of the protector 54 may be formed in the plate furthest from the heat conductive plate 70 among the bottom plate 55a and the cover plate portion 56a, and the heat conductor 80 may be in contact with the wiring 50 through the window portion. In this case, a part of the heat conductive plate is formed to extend to the outside of the side plate 55b, bottom plate 55a, or cover plate portion 56a of the protector 54, and the heat conductor 80 may be in direct or indirect contact with this extended portion.

[0148] Furthermore, at least some of the multiple types of connectors may be standby connectors fixed to the vehicle or the like. For example, at least some of the multiple types of harness connectors 44 may be standby connectors. This makes it easier to connect the mating wire harness to the harness connector 44.

[0149] Furthermore, the configurations described in each of the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate, as long as they do not contradict each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0150] 10 vehicles 11. Dashboard 12 Main body part 13 Overhang part 14, 16 Through holes 15 Cowl Side Panels 17. Instrument Panel Reinforcement 18 Floor Panels 18a Locker section 19 A-pillar 20. Reciprocal wire harnesses (20A Engine room harness, 20B Instrument panel harness, 20C Door harness, 20D Floor harness, 20E Roof harness) 20X First mating wire harness 20Y Second opposing wire harness 22 Electrical equipment 23 cases 24 Heat-generating components 25 Circuit boards 25a Circuit Pattern 26 connectors 26a terminal 30, 230, 330, 430, 530 Wire Harness 42 Equipment Connectors 42a terminal 44 Harness connectors (44A Engine room harness connector, 44B Instrument panel harness connector, 44C Door harness connector, 44D Harness connector, 44E Roof harness connector) 44X, 544X Connector for the first harness 44Y, 544Y Connector for the second harness 46 Laminated Connectors 47. First Split Connector 48. Second Split Connector 50, 550, 550X, 550Y wiring 50P power wire 50S signal line 51, 51A, 51B, 51C, 51D equipment wiring 51X Wiring for 1st device 51Y 2nd device wiring 52, 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, 52E Wiring for through circuits 53, 361, 365 electric wire 53a Core wire 53b Covering 53c Intermediate peeling section 54 Protector (base component) 55 Main unit 55a bottom plate 55b side plate 55c Partition Plate 55d groove 55e Window section 55f fixed piece 55g hole 56 Lid 56a Lid plate part 56b Side plate part 58, 362, 366, 558 Sheet members (base members) 58a Window section 70, 570 thermal conductive plate 70a hole 71 Fixed piece 71a Through hole 72 Wiring overlap area 74 Equipment overlap area 76 Binding members 80 Thermal Conductors 82. Heat-drawn wire (thermal conductor) 82a Conductor wire 82b Covering 84 Filling material (thermal conductor) 360, 360A, 360B 1st wiring group 362a, 366a extension piece 364, 364A, 364B 2nd wiring group S bolt

Claims

1. A circuit having at least wiring extending from an electrical device having a heat-generating component, A heat-conducting plate extending along the aforementioned wiring, A thermal conductor that thermally connects the circuit and the thermal conductive plate, Equipped with, The aforementioned wiring has a core wire and a covering that covers the core wire. The heat conductor is connected to the core wire by contacting the core wire. A wire harness in which the portion of the core wire that comes into contact with the heat conductor does not have the aforementioned coating on its entire outer circumference.

2. The wire harness according to Claim 1, The coating is provided with an insulating member separate from the aforementioned coating, A wire harness in which the insulating member covers the portion of the core wire that is not covered by the heat conductor, among the portions of the core wire that are not covered by the insulation.

3. A wire harness according to claim 1 or claim 2, In the intermediate portion of the wiring along its extending direction, there is an intermediate stripped portion where the covering over the core wire is partially absent. The heat conductor is a wire harness connected to the core wire at the intermediate stripping portion.

4. A wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The system further comprises a base member interposed between the wiring and the heat-conducting plate, The heat conductor connects the core wire and the heat conductive plate through a window formed in the base member, in a wire harness.

5. The wire harness according to claim 4, The base member is a protector having a main body with a groove formed therein for housing the wiring, and a cover that covers the wiring from the opposite side of the main body. The window portion is formed on a plate portion of either the main body or the lid, which is interposed between the wiring and the heat-conducting plate. A wire harness in which either the main body or the lid holds the wiring toward the heat conductor.

6. The wire harness according to claim 4, The base member is a flexible sheet member, and the wire harness is also a wire harness.

7. A wire harness according to any one of claims 4 to 6, A wire harness in which the base member keeps the multiple wires flattened.

8. A wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The circuit further has terminals connected to the ends of the wiring, The heat conductor is a wire harness connecting the terminal and the heat conductive plate.

9. A wire harness according to claim 8, The heat conductor is a wire harness having a heat-tapping wire connected to the terminal.

10. A wire harness according to claim 8 or claim 9, The aforementioned terminals are housed in the cavity of the connector housing. The heat conductor is insulating and the wire harness has a filling member filled in the cavity.

11. A wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The aforementioned wiring includes a signal line and a power line with a larger conductor cross-sectional area than the signal line. A wire harness in which the heat conductor is connected to the circuit of the power line.

12. A wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The device is provided with a connector for the electrical equipment that is connected to the connector of the aforementioned electrical equipment, and a first harness connector and a second harness connector, to which the connectors of the mating wire harness are connected, respectively. The wiring is a wire harness that includes a plurality of wires branching from the equipment connector and connected to the first harness connector and the second harness connector.

13. A wire harness according to claim 12, The wiring is a wire harness that includes wiring for a through circuit connecting the connector for the first harness and the connector for the second harness.

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